Just because I try to keep a simple home doesn’t mean I am immune to clutter. Organizing isn’t a one-time deal, it requires daily maintenance and sometimes a mini do-over if you haven’t been keeping it tidy. Watch as I remove, clean, and rearrange everything in my “catch-all” cupboard in the kitchen.

First step is to pick where you want to organize/simplify. Next step is to remove everything, yes, even if it means jumping up and down to see the back of the cupboard like I had to. Then it’s time to wipe down the shelves. Then I went through the items and decided if there was anything that needed to be moved to another location or thrown out. I didn’t have much to remove because I had already done a purge of the cupboard once.

After that comes what I call the “fun”. Finding a place to put things back. Since the last system obviously wasn’t working for me (otherwise I would have maintained it better) I decided to try to put things back differently the second time. I put things I rarely use (once a week or less) on the top shelf, things that are used but not necessarily daily on the middle shelf, and my daily-use or things I need quick access to on the first shelf. I Hope you enjoy watching this and let me know which space tends to become cluttered for you.

Goals: we all know what they are but do we actually make a practice of setting, and working towards them, in our lives? Watch this video to learn how to set SMART goals and how to increase your chances of achieving the goals you set for yourself.

Leave us a comment with a goal that you’ve set for yourself for the week, month, or year ahead.

I’m a mom of two young kids (in case my “ponytail as a hairstyle” didn’t give it away yet) so “I’m bored” are two words I haven’t said in a long time. Whether it’s tidying up the toys, folding laundry, or a myriad of other jobs, there is always something that needs to get done.

Can you relate? I’m sure you can. No matter your season of life there is always something that needs cleaning, work that needs to be accomplished, and plans to prepare for.

Lately though I’ve been practicing being unproductive. It is taking active un-learning to stop thinking about the next thing that needs to get done long enough to be still and enjoy the moment. Sometimes I do it for 30 seconds while I am drinking my first morning sip of freshly brewed coffee. Other times I try and sit quietly for 5 minutes, this is about as long I can tolerate until the urge to get up and do something kicks in.

There is a fear of falling behind that permeates our decisions. Our work continues to mount as we don’t complete it. We also feel that we are the most capable and that if we didn’t act, nothing would get done. There is an old saying that goes: “the graveyards are full of indispensable people”. It is a telling, albeit somewhat morbid, statement that life goes on, with or without us.

So what value is there in stopping, then, if it risks us falling behind? Here are three observations from my own experience with being purposefully unproductive.

Here’s a funny video of Cheryl and I giving you 5 ways to simplify Halloween for kids. Don’t be fooled, this video is silly and full of surprises – including some bloopers. It also delivers 5 serious practical tips that will help you have an amazing time with you kids this Halloween.

JF and I just came back from SimpleREV which was an amazing experience! Inspired by the conference, I bring you my current thoughts on minimalism, what it means to me and how I am applying it in my life. Part of my update deals with a question posed by author Patrick Rhone, check out his article on Minimal Mac.

Share with us your journey, we’d love to hear your stories. And don’t forget to share this with your friends using the buttons below, thanks!

About two years ago I decided to stand up for myself and lose the office chair. In the past, I had some back problems and my back tends to be weak. So I asked myself when is my posture at its worst? The answer is when I sit for hours developing software. I know I should take several breaks, look away from the screen, walk around and stretch. But honestly, did you ever see a developer do that consistently? Not me. We tend, or at least, I tend to get so focused on my tasks that I forget about these great habits.